An open thread to Floridians

[Lindaloo]

The important thing to do is evacuate if you are told to do so by your local EMA office and officials. If you live inland from any coastal waterways or beach by at least 15 miles and are not in a flood prone area and have a sturdy house you are better off to hunker down in most cases provided you have stocked up on hurricane supplies, built a safe room and/or don't have special medical needs.

The last thing you want to do is evacuate if you live well inland unless you are in a Mobile Home or maybe the 2nd floor of Apartments, this just causes unneeded congestion on already congested roadways.

LISTEN TO YOUR LOCAL OFFICIALS!!!!!!!

I believed in this theory, until Katrina. I live far enough inland and was flooded. Best thing to do is get out, period. People well north of the coast were also flooded out, holding on to the eaves of their homes or getting in their boats and tying off to oak trees.

[Trader Ron]

Something like Floyd, 1987 (Trackwise, not intensity wise) will be one of my worse fears.

Right now i would take that track. Sorry Key West folks. I don't wish a Hurricane on anyone. All of Mainland Florida would escape the worse, UNLESS it's a Monster.

[Wacahootaman]

Last year in N. Fla I went 14 days without elect. I was not ready for it.

The worst was the heat afteward with no fans or AC. But by then battery powered fans or generators were not to be found so I just suffered through it.

My advise for those who can, dont put your family through it. If possible, send them on a vacation to Colorado for a couple of weeks if you want to stay with your home.

You can soldier on in the aftermath doing what you need to protect the property while they live in confort on vacation.

Better still, find a good neighbor who is going to stay and will give you reports after the cane, and you and the family go to Colorado. !

[floridahurricaneguy]

Not overeacting early but want to be ready. If we are talking it hitting Fri Night or Sat would mandatory be issued Friday or Thursday with Voluntary Wednesday? Even if its more southern hit Tampa would still have it rough from north side so we would have evacuation orders I assume? Espically since it looks big.

MAtt

[weatherwindow]

just some FYI for keys residents.....needless to say, this is october. this is the climatological peak of the hurricane season for the florida keys. we are more likely to experience hurricane conditions in october than in any other months. further, storms forming in the western caribbean in october have produced the only major hurricane landfalls ever experienced by key west and the lower keys...in other words, if we are going to "get it" now is the time and the western caribbean will be the source and given current synoptic conditions, it has the potential to reach us as a major hurricane. we have no recent experience with the winds and surge from a major hurricane landfall. the last in the lower keys was 1948 and that was questionable. key west and the lower keys must go all the way back to 1909 and 1910 for real live major landfall. dont focus on all the misses, near misses and previous evac orders that ultimately proved unnecessary. if billy wagner decides that this is a credible threat to the keys, it is very possible that may be the first major to landfall the keys in almost 100 years. remember we are really a bunch of very small islands just above sea level and LEAVE.......rich

[inotherwords]

I am not evacuating or putting up shutters unless it's a 3 or greater, or unless there's huge storm surge predicted a la Rita or Katrina.

Fortunately I think we'll have enough time early this week to get our ducks in a row. When people say they need to prepare, don't assume they do not have food, generator, etc. and lecture them for that. When I say it's time to prepare, that means I need to determine if I can get help putting up my shutters if that time comes, and I will start placing yard stuff that could blow around in a safe area.

If it's a really big storm, I put stuff up high on shelves and several feet off the floor, and prepare the car evacuation kit with the pet carriers, their vaccination records, my computer and important backup data on DVD, etc.

[Noah]

I am not in an evacuation zone, but in live in a condo upstairs..i have no idea if this is save from wind?????? Im eally getting scared..i could go south to port charlotte to freinds sturdy homes, but almost did that last year form charley as i was in tampa at the time..and it hit port charlotte and PG.
ANy advice?

[johngaltfla]

I am not in an evacuation zone, but in live in a condo upstairs..i have no idea if this is save from wind?????? Im eally getting scared..i could go south to port charlotte to freinds sturdy homes, but almost did that last year form charley as i was in tampa at the time..and it hit port charlotte and PG.
ANy advice?

If you're going to evacuate, get as far away from the projected path as possible. Take all your important papers, medications, valuables, etc. Do not leave anything behind that you feel you'll need in the coming month plus.

We'll decide our evac plans by Wednesday in our household once the path firms up. Our plans are to head to family in Georgia IF it appears to be anything above a 3. I'm not comfortable trying to ride out anything higher than that in our house.

[tracyswfla]

I am sooo embarrased to admit this. I don't know if I am in an evac. zone. How can I check that for Lee County Florida?

[tracyswfla]

I am sooo embarrased to admit this. I don't know if I am in an evac. zone. How can I check that for Lee County Florida?

[Noah]

I am sooo embarrased to admit this. I don't know if I am in an evac. zone. How can I check that for Lee County Florida?

Look up lee county emergency managment operations, you will find it there.

[tracyswfla]

I am sooo embarrased to admit this. I don't know if I am in an evac. zone. How can I check that for Lee County Florida?

Look up lee county emergency managment operations, you will find it there.

Thanks!!!!!

http://www.leeeoc.com/evacroutes.cfm

[Myersgirl]

I am sooo embarrased to admit this. I don't know if I am in an evac. zone. How can I check that for Lee County Florida?

Look up lee county emergency managment operations, you will find it there.

Thanks!!!!!

http://www.leeeoc.com/evacroutes.cfm

Tracy, the flood zones are in the front of our phone books

I have also heard that you can check your drivers license, if it says Florida, you are in an evacuation zone!

Just a little humor, I hope possible "wilma" stays away from Fort Misery

[tracyswfla]

I am sooo embarrased to admit this. I don't know if I am in an evac. zone. How can I check that for Lee County Florida?

Look up lee county emergency managment operations, you will find it there.

Thanks!!!!!

http://www.leeeoc.com/evacroutes.cfm

Tracy, the flood zones are in the front of our phone books

I have also heard that you can check your drivers license, if it says Florida, you are in an evacuation zone!

Just a little humor, I hope possible "wilma" stays away from Fort Misery

Shoot, I always dial 411! Never use the phonebook! Thanks!

[dhweather]

Unfortunately, we have learned from experience.

Dh, how did you make out? I have friends that stayed in Diamonhead and said it felt like hell on Earth but they didn't flood. They said they have never seen wind so strong that makes trees look like toothpicks.

Roof damage and trees down and I was lucky. About 300 homes in
Diamondhead were washed down to the slab, and another 4-500
flooded from 3 to 13 feet of water. Yeah, I'd say hell on earth is accurate.
Everyone that stayed said that too. I left!

[gatorcane]

I am very concerned for the Tampa Bay area looking at all the data this afternoon. Very, very concerned.

[tracyswfla]

Bump for the new model run..

[jdray]

Last year in N. Fla I went 14 days without elect. I was not ready for it.

The worst was the heat afteward with no fans or AC. But by then battery powered fans or generators were not to be found so I just suffered through it.

My advise for those who can, dont put your family through it. If possible, send them on a vacation to Colorado for a couple of weeks if you want to stay with your home.

You can soldier on in the aftermath doing what you need to protect the property while they live in confort on vacation.

Better still, find a good neighbor who is going to stay and will give you reports after the cane, and you and the family go to Colorado. !

Good thoughts. I went a total of 7 days between Frances and Jeanne. Both only gave me TS force winds with higher gusts (and spawned a tornado over my house)

My wife and son would be better off up in Atlanta with relatives than to stay in the house without lights/water/phone.

[Wacahootaman]

Yep, Florida could be in the sights of this one too.

I guess it is our time in the cycles.

They even got a game board about it now.

[dcuevas]

Hey Boca Chris! Nice to hear from you... I always wait for your response.... NOW I'M WORRIED... I remember one time you told me to wait for the turn. What are your thoughts this time? It's only Monday and I think it is planned for early Saturday morning. Should I go ahead and take sick days now?